Downtown Soup Kitchen

The Downtown Soup Kitchen has welcomed guests and provided them with a delicious, hearty soup meal for over 30 years.

The Downtown Soup Kitchen serves guests from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the Social Hall. Guests are welcome to dine in and/or take carry-out bags. Enter from the doors on Madison St.

ALL ARE WELCOME: Volunteers serve guests each week and assist with special holiday meal days for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. All people are welcome to visit and eat any day the Soup Kitchen is open.

THE MENU: Each week, the Soup Kitchen provides guests with unlimited hearty soup, buttery garlic toast or bread, salad or fruit, dessert, and beverages. Each person may also take a carry-out bag as they leave.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ITEMS FOR ALL: A giveaway table provides donated items, such as additional food and hats, scarves, gloves, or socks for our guests to pick up.

HOW WE DO IT: Serving Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, cooking begins at 7:30 AM where 4-6 huge pots of hearty soup are prepared with special recipes. Volunteer numbers increase as the morning progresses, acquiring the 8-10 folks it takes to make the day run smoothly. Volunteers are welcome from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM on days when the kitchen is open. The doors are open to guests at 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

On Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, a wonderful volunteer group called “Veggie Buddies” gathers to cook, dice, measure, and bag meat and fresh vegetables for each kettle.

The kitchen shops at the Northern Indiana Food Bank, where most of the meat and desserts are purchased. Some canned goods come from there as well. The rest are ordered from Stanz Food Service along with paper products. Bread and baked goods are generously donated by Breadsmith and Panera. Fresh produce is given by B&B Organic Wholesalers. We are also blessed to receive many items from Cultivate Food Rescue.

SERVING TIMES:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
ENTRANCE:  Use Building Entrance on Madison Street
DIRECTOR OF KITCHEN:  Deborah Mayers

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheDTSK/

TO VOLUNTEER OR MAKE A DONATION: Contact First and Northwest UMC at  fumcsecretary2@gmail.com  or 574-233-9463 or GIVE ONLINE.